An open letter to Apple about the new “AirPods”
Dear Apple,
Your devoted customers have stuck with you throughout some of the questionable changes you’ve made to your iPhone models (case in point, the new “Lightning” charger introduced for the iPhone 5 back in 2012). We have had blind faith in your products and trust that you know our needs and wants more than we do ourselves. However, when rumors about a headphone jack-less iPhone 7 stirred up this week, I thought to myself: “that’s ridiculous.” I was certain it was some overzealous Samsung fan trying to stir the pot. But alas, you have proven me wrong. Here’s everything that’s wrong with the new (jack-less) iPhone 7:
• AirPods are an insult to all earphones. Tangled-up earphones are an age-old annoyance, but does anyone really want to walk around with an innovation that looks like it’s paying homage to the Motorola Bluetooth earpiece? I don’t think so.
• Say goodbye to charging your phone and listening to music at the same time. The iPhone is popular among teenagers because it reflects their predisposed inclination toward multitasking. No one has the time to charge their phone to 100 percent before plugging in their earphones to listen to music — we have homework to do and assignments to submit.
• Earphones can no longer serve as our second line of defense against cracked screens. Remember that mini heart attack we got when we dropped our phone but our headphones caught it in the nick of time? Well, adios to that. Now when you drop your new iPhone 7, there’s nothing your AirPods can do. Farewell headphones — you were the real MVP.
• Get ready to hash out some real dough to replace your AirPods: The AirPods retail at a steep $159 per pair — let that sink in. These earphones look like they would fall out of your ears at any given moment. Therefore, getting replacements would cost you a few. Guess I can’t listen to music while jogging anymore.
• You’re forced to purchase all the Apple add-ons to normalize your experience: Apple offered its users a way out of using its AirPods by purchasing a dongle that connects to its Lightning port. You can then connect your traditional wired headphones to the dongle and listen to music. Basically, whenever you are out and about, you have to carry your headphones, dongle and charger. Why’d you have to go and make things so complicated, Apple?
Your recent update to the iPhone 7 proves that while a revision may seem like a step forward for innovation, it isn’t always a step that needs to be taken.
Love,
“I’m sticking to the iPhone 6”
Byron Chenoweth
I really like what you guys tend to be up too. This type of clever work and coverage!